Mardi, and a Voyage Thither: Analysis of Major Characters
"Mardi, and a Voyage Thither" is a complex narrative set in the South Seas, centered around a young American sailor's quest for love and identity. The story begins when the narrator and his companion abandon their whaling ship, embarking on an adventure that leads them to various hospitable islands. Central to the tale is the narrator's romantic interest, Yillah, a blonde native girl who represents goodness and purity. Her sudden disappearance propels the narrator into a search across the islands, where he encounters a diverse cast of characters, including Hautia, a rival for his affections; Jarl, a fellow sailor; and Media, a native king who mistakes the narrator for a reincarnated deity.
As the narrator navigates his emotional turmoil and the captivating yet often challenging island life, he is advised by Babbalanja, a wise figure who poignantly asserts that the narrator has irrevocably lost Yillah. The narrative intertwines themes of love, loss, and the search for deeper meaning, depicted through the interactions with various islanders, including the minstrel Yoomy and King Donjalolo, who seeks to evade his own reality. The novel explores how the quest for connection and understanding transcends individual relationships, inviting readers to reflect on the nature of existence and the complexities of cultural encounters.
Mardi, and a Voyage Thither: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Herman Melville
First published: 1849
Genre: Novel
Locale: Islands of the Western Pacific
Plot: Allegory
Time: Mid-nineteenth century
The narrator, a young American sailor in the South Seas who, with a companion, jumps ship and leaves in a small boat for hospitable islands. At sea, he meets a blonde native girl named Yillah. The party is welcomed to an island by a group of natives who call the narrator “Taji,” thinking he is that god reincarnated. The narrator falls in love with Yillah. When she mysteriously disappears, he wanders the seas, visiting many islands, looking for her. His quest is to no avail.
Yillah, the narrator's sweetheart, the symbol of good in the novel.
Hautia, a dark native queen who is Yillah's rival for the narrator's love. Though the narrator finds her attractive, he refuses the favors she offers him.
Jarl, a sailor aboard the Arcturion who, with the narrator, leaves the whaling vessel and travels among the islands of the South Seas.
Samoa, a native whom Jarl and the narrator find hiding in a derelict ship. The sailors befriend him, and he accompanies them on their travels.
Media, a native king who mistakes the narrator for the god Taji and offers him the hospitality of the island.
Babbalanja, a wise man in Media's court who tells the narrator that having lost Yillah, he will never again find her.
King Donjalolo, monarch of the island of Juam, who moves from place to place on his island home in order to escape reality.
Yoomy, the minstrel-poet of King Media's court.